It’s Not Me, It’s You: Consumer-Centric Strategies Build Trust

For the past 18 years, the Edelman Trust Barometer has measured brand trust around the globe. This year, they titled their report “The Battle for Truth.” It’s not a subtle message. US consumer trust has decreased in every realm: NGOs, business, government, and the media. We need consumer-centric strategies.

You need all four of these elements to make a good brand strategy. If you tell people that you are helpful, but you say it in a way that doesn’t come across as helpful, and you don’t act helpful, it doesn’t matter. Alternatively, if you say you care about the community, and you say it well, and you work with the community, but you don’t advertise it, then it doesn’t make a difference. People won’t know.

But worst of all, if you don’t consider the consumer’s needs, then none of the rest matters.

Build Consumer-Centric Strategies

When you consider people rather than plans, you can build a strategy that is truly consumer-centric. The person you care about needs something specific. When you focus on that person, and develop a strategy that puts them at the center, you put yourself in a great position. Then you can choose channels, apps, and partnerships as tactics that support that person.